5 Useful Tips for Upcoming Sound Designers and Sound Editors

Getting started as a sound designer can be daunting – and that’s something sound designer Philip Moroz wants to help make easier.

Philip Moroz is a recent graduate, co-founder of ‘noisecreations’ – and he’s just written a book called ‘To Become A Sound Designer’ highlighting the essential lessons he’s learned as a sound designer, important career choices to make in sound + tips and advice on how to advance your sound skills.

Here are five of his useful tips for upcoming sound designers, from the new book:

1) MOTIVATION – DEADLINES

Setting yourself deadlines is a great way to keep motivated. When deciding on a deadline try setting the date slightly earlier than you think it is possible to achieve the project in. That way you are regularly pushing yourself. Being a little ambitious can’t hurt but be judicious with the deadline; try not to set your deadline so early that you sacrifice quality. Doing this could easily diminish enthusiasm and reduce your motivation. After all, having a catalogue of quality work will be more eye-catching for employers than how fast you can slam those deliverables on their desk.

Quality work will always take time, but improving your skills will help you work faster over time as you will get more and more familiar with your technique. For every career there are the initial steps that one has to experience. Whilst learning to become a sound designer it can often uncover a wide range of hurdles including where to begin, motivation, developing a unique style, using the equipment you have at the time and so on.

2) USING WHAT YOU’VE GOT – IMAGINATION

It is doubtlessly enjoyable to spend time sometimes thinking about the equipment that you could have right now that would make your life easier but don’t let it stop you from using what you have currently. My very first equipment duo, the Zoom H4n and RODE NTG-2, had lasted me well and I still use them when the occasion arises in which their abilities best suit the sound I am trying to record at the time.

A NTG-2 makeshift contact microphone

Given that these pieces of equipment are on the lower end of the quality and price scales when compared with the more expensive equipment out there, it is the ideal opportunity to push their original purpose over the edge; safely of course.

For example, a few times in the past I have wrapped up my NTG-2 in cling film and covered the tip of the mic in blu-tack as a makeshift contact mic. It worked surprisingly well for recording a slinky when put into contact with the opposite to where I tapped the slinky with a screwdriver.

I would have second thoughts using a more expensive microphone such as a Sennheiser MKH-60 for the same application if I had no contact mics around. That’s the advantage of cheap kit.

3) BEING VERSATILE – BE MORE

This has been one of my highest priorities for developing my craft. Being able to provide services other than just a ‘sound designer’, you will be much more valuable to a future work colleague or employer. This doesn’t mean transforming into a ‘jack of all trades’ selling counterfeit audio and pirated DVDs out the back of a van; the quality of your work must by no means deteriorate. Expand your knowledge in areas such as performing foley, camera operation and the international standards for mixing for film, television and games. You don’t have to become an expert in these fields because, as you know with sound design, it takes a long time to perfect your craft but a little knowledge goes a long way when working amongst future work colleagues.

Bonus reads: 3 more guides to check out for aspiring sound designers:

In addition to checking out Philip Moroz’ new book, I’d also recommend you take a look at these 3 great reads here on A Sound Effect:

4) CLIP GAIN AUTOMATION (TECHNIQUE 5 OF 20 FROM THE BOOK)

Without clip gain automation

With clip gain automation

Always search for new and exciting ways to improve the technical quality and usability of your sound effects. For example, what if the sound you are recording has a large inherent dynamic range, such as a typewriter?

In this case the audio clip could need preparing a little further before reducing the dynamic range if required using saturators/limiters for example. Try reducing the dynamic range of the significant sections of the sound by automating the clip gain. A visual representation is shown below.

This method to prepare the audio clip ensures the preservation of the natural characteristics of the sound whilst defining the nuances that would otherwise be lost in the depths of the noise floor. In a mix, the ‘noise floor’ could consist of the aggregated sections of the soundtrack such as ambience and music. This also relieves some of the pressure off of the saturators/limiters down the line.

Be judicious when automating the clip gain – you don’t want to display the inherent noise from the microphone or recorder. Every sound is different but give it a try and see if it works for you.

Get all sorts of ambisonic debris recordings in this release from Spheric Collection – perfect for earthquakes, landslides, explosions and beyond. Debris is the material you will need for a house and gallery collapsing. From very small stone and dust to large rocks, this collection is a good set of mineral sounds – covering everything from impacts, continuous falling debris, rocks poured from various heights, light and heavy falling debris sounds, a number of falling rock sounds, to rocky explosions and blasts, glass sounds and more. Always immersive all sounds are ambisonic recordings.

About Ambisonics:

This is an Ambisonics sound effects library - and by using the free SoundField SurroundZone 2 plugin you can convert the B-format files into your preferred format (stereo, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, 7.0 or 7.1 surround). Note: The library also contains ready-made stereo mixdowns for your convenience.

If you are a musician who wants to define the building blocks of an intense horror track or maybe you are a sound designer who needs to create a musical moment in a scene from a sound design perspective, this library can help you to achieve those things.

Metals, vinyl noises, voices, ukuleles, flutes, guitars and clocks were used to create this intense pack of 164 loops and 44 Fx.

Check the main demo!! It was created very quickly using only the sounds of the pack with NO ADDED EFFECTS, only mixing the levels of the sounds and shows you the intensity of what you can create with this library!!

Vintage Film Tech Effects features Slate claps, Beeps, Bloops, Film leader tone, Static, 2 Pops, digital dropouts, record player noise and much more. We’ve collected these vintage sounds from old Hollywood dailies reels, and film stock. 206 tracks that recreate the sound of the lost art of classic Film, TV and radio production.

Looking for authentic ambient sounds of Japanese transportation? Look no further! Field recordist and composer Ryan Ayers travelled to Japan in April of 2019 and captured this wonderful collection. His journey took him from Osaka to Tokyo to Fukuoka and all points in-between. Travel aboard the trains of the JR, the famous Shinkansen, the Hanyu Ferry and more! Explore the train platforms and station terminals of Osaka. Get lost in the Kansai International Airport. There is a subway noodle shop as well as specialty food markets. Authentic walla and natural activity give this collection the ear candy necessary to be an integral part of great soundscapes.

This is a purely recorded sound pack. Nothing is synthetic or layered here. What you hear is exactly what was captured on location. We edited and mastered the files to bring out the best parts of the recordings. Most of the recordings have been ready-made into loops for ease of use. As always, we have embedded the files with detailed metadata for easy database searches.

Whether you’re working on an exciting Pirates of the Caribbean style video game or a relaxing sea-faring romance, the hours of exceptional background loops and additional cutting edge ship sounds contained within this sound pack will set your project on a course to excellence!

EXPLORE AN ENTIRE SHIP

Whether your adventure takes place in the MAIN DECK, CABIN, BELOW DECK, atop the CROWS NEST, in a MEDIEVAL PORT, or on a DISTANT SHIP in the HIGH SEAS we’ve got you covered! Each ambience contains MULTIPLE VARIATIONS, ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS, and MULTIPLE INTENSITIES to cover each and every part of the ship, on the rough and calm seas, this sound effects library is perfect for every situation you need.

A JOURNEY TO REMEMBER

Our expert team of sound designers have meticulously crafted each ambience into CONTINUOUS, NON-REPETITIVE, DRAG AND DROP-READY LOOPS that will serve as perfect background audio for your game, film, animation, live event, or even as relaxing background audio! We have even included FULL and SIMPLIFIED MIXES, ISOLATED WEATHER, OCEAN and WOOD CRACKING versions, SHORT and LONG non-repetitive variants, and numerous other options for your convenience!

TREASURE APLENTY

With FREE UPDATES, FOREVER! and FREE BONUS AMBIENCES: MEDIEVAL PORT and isolated, SEA, SAILS and FLAG FLAPPING, Ship’s BELL RINGING, WEATHER and WOOD CRACKING SOUNDS, all supplied in industry standard Hi-Rez WAV and Hi-Quality MP3 formats, there’s no better time to set sail on the high seas with this ONE OF A KIND sound pack!

So what are you waiting for? Take command of this UNIQUE library and begin your journey on the high seas today!

KEY FEATURES:

Huge variety of Old Wooden Ship Interior and Exterior Ambiences, All Weather Conditions and Additional Useful BONUS Sound Effects for every scene or situation.

5) WAYS TO GET WORK – WHEN YOU CAN’T BE ARSED

There have been times where I have been asked to provide production audio for a short film, sometimes being a two to three day shoot and a fair distance from where I live. Before I head off to the shoot I sometimes feel like I’d much rather stay at home and relax, which essentially comes down to laziness and nerves. Often the shoots/projects you most often put off are the ones that you learn most from. Perhaps you will find your next work colleague. Push through. It’ll be worth it.
Similarly, if there are scenarios in which you don’t feel you have what it takes to provide a service, dispel those thoughts right away because if you don’t have a crack at it then you’ll never know. In the worst possible outcome where the whole project collapses around you like a food tent at the end of Ramadan, you’ll always gain valuable experience of where it went wrong and how to confront it next time.

In a remote research lab in the north-east of England, scientists have been secretly carrying out experiments on a number of human test subjects. There is no record of what these experiments entailed or who authorized them, but one thing we do know is that something went horrendously wrong and transformed these once-innocent, everyday people into something else entirely… Something inherently evil.

Herein lies an audio documentation of these wretched beasts as they run amok with only one thing on their minds… To feed and to destroy.

Featuring sounds taken from lo-fi instrumental recordings, harsh noise experiments and granular synthesis explorations, Atmosfear is a gritty soundscape collection geared towards the horror genre. With a distinctly unpolished production style to bring a rough edge to your scenario, these sounds can be used to invoke feelings of suspense, dread, tension, fear and doom into your characters and environments.

What does an industrial scale torture chamber in an abandoned asylum sound like? What about a high-voltage electrical possession? Find the answer to these questions and more with Atmosfear. Enter if you dare.

Swordfighter is a robust package with sharp sounding swords, heaps of variations and all the extras you need to make a fight come alive. Build unique sword swings with various hits, swooshes, schings, different fighter vocals and impacts on various surfaces. All up there are 137 sword sounds, 93 surface impact sounds, 15 knife throwing sounds, 48 swooshes and 180 fighter vocals.

This version includes two sub-folders: one optimised for a film & TV workflow and the other optimised for video games workflow. Plus a few bonus sounds of a charging army.

Get all sorts of ambisonic debris recordings in this release from Spheric Collection – perfect for earthquakes, landslides, explosions and beyond. Debris is the material you will need for a house and gallery collapsing. From very small stone and dust to large rocks, this collection is a good set of mineral sounds – covering everything from impacts, continuous falling debris, rocks poured from various heights, light and heavy falling debris sounds, a number of falling rock sounds, to rocky explosions and blasts, glass sounds and more. Always immersive all sounds are ambisonic recordings.

About Ambisonics:

This is an Ambisonics sound effects library - and by using the free SoundField SurroundZone 2 plugin you can convert the B-format files into your preferred format (stereo, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0, 6.1, 7.0 or 7.1 surround). Note: The library also contains ready-made stereo mixdowns for your convenience.

If you are a musician who wants to define the building blocks of an intense horror track or maybe you are a sound designer who needs to create a musical moment in a scene from a sound design perspective, this library can help you to achieve those things.

Metals, vinyl noises, voices, ukuleles, flutes, guitars and clocks were used to create this intense pack of 164 loops and 44 Fx.

Check the main demo!! It was created very quickly using only the sounds of the pack with NO ADDED EFFECTS, only mixing the levels of the sounds and shows you the intensity of what you can create with this library!!

Vintage Film Tech Effects features Slate claps, Beeps, Bloops, Film leader tone, Static, 2 Pops, digital dropouts, record player noise and much more. We’ve collected these vintage sounds from old Hollywood dailies reels, and film stock. 206 tracks that recreate the sound of the lost art of classic Film, TV and radio production.

Looking for authentic ambient sounds of Japanese transportation? Look no further! Field recordist and composer Ryan Ayers travelled to Japan in April of 2019 and captured this wonderful collection. His journey took him from Osaka to Tokyo to Fukuoka and all points in-between. Travel aboard the trains of the JR, the famous Shinkansen, the Hanyu Ferry and more! Explore the train platforms and station terminals of Osaka. Get lost in the Kansai International Airport. There is a subway noodle shop as well as specialty food markets. Authentic walla and natural activity give this collection the ear candy necessary to be an integral part of great soundscapes.

This is a purely recorded sound pack. Nothing is synthetic or layered here. What you hear is exactly what was captured on location. We edited and mastered the files to bring out the best parts of the recordings. Most of the recordings have been ready-made into loops for ease of use. As always, we have embedded the files with detailed metadata for easy database searches.

Whether you’re working on an exciting Pirates of the Caribbean style video game or a relaxing sea-faring romance, the hours of exceptional background loops and additional cutting edge ship sounds contained within this sound pack will set your project on a course to excellence!

EXPLORE AN ENTIRE SHIP

Whether your adventure takes place in the MAIN DECK, CABIN, BELOW DECK, atop the CROWS NEST, in a MEDIEVAL PORT, or on a DISTANT SHIP in the HIGH SEAS we’ve got you covered! Each ambience contains MULTIPLE VARIATIONS, ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS, and MULTIPLE INTENSITIES to cover each and every part of the ship, on the rough and calm seas, this sound effects library is perfect for every situation you need.

A JOURNEY TO REMEMBER

Our expert team of sound designers have meticulously crafted each ambience into CONTINUOUS, NON-REPETITIVE, DRAG AND DROP-READY LOOPS that will serve as perfect background audio for your game, film, animation, live event, or even as relaxing background audio! We have even included FULL and SIMPLIFIED MIXES, ISOLATED WEATHER, OCEAN and WOOD CRACKING versions, SHORT and LONG non-repetitive variants, and numerous other options for your convenience!

TREASURE APLENTY

With FREE UPDATES, FOREVER! and FREE BONUS AMBIENCES: MEDIEVAL PORT and isolated, SEA, SAILS and FLAG FLAPPING, Ship’s BELL RINGING, WEATHER and WOOD CRACKING SOUNDS, all supplied in industry standard Hi-Rez WAV and Hi-Quality MP3 formats, there’s no better time to set sail on the high seas with this ONE OF A KIND sound pack!

So what are you waiting for? Take command of this UNIQUE library and begin your journey on the high seas today!

KEY FEATURES:

Huge variety of Old Wooden Ship Interior and Exterior Ambiences, All Weather Conditions and Additional Useful BONUS Sound Effects for every scene or situation.